Civilian and military suicide rates surge in United States

Arguably, the most significant issue in the imminent presidential election is the economy. President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney have expressed their differing viewpoints on how best to spur the economy. In addition to the flagging US economy, many European nations are experiencing financial problems. Evidence from European countries indicates a significant rise in suicides from the economic recession, totaling more than 1,000 excess deaths in the United Kingdom alone. Among the worst affected economies in Europe, such as Greece, suicides have risen by more than 60% since 2007.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Cambridge in the UK noted that to date, there has been little or no analysis of US mental health data, primarily due to delays in data availability. Thus, they conducted a study to extend their previous analyses of recessions and suicides in Europe to assess trends in all 50 US states. They published their findings online on November 5 in The Lancet.